I’ve told you I’m a savory girl.  Sugar just doesn’t do it for me.  Especially in the mornings.  I know lots of you will throw up your hands in horror at such a strange state of affairs.  Sugar in the morning crashes me.  It took me years to really understand the cause and effect.  But, I do need something to start the day.  One of my very favorite things to start a day with in Paris is a whole grain roll called a Sportif.  That and a cup of coffee and I’m well charged for the day.  In this country, the only way to find anything remotely like that is in a speciality/artesian bakery or bake it at home.

Recently I wondered into what I can call one of my on-line bakeries here and discovered a roll of my dreams!  And I merrily went about making them.

And Oh! they were good. 

But then I wanted more and I have been playing with potato a little.  And the recipe only made 10.  So the very next day I sat out to make the recipe again and twisted it and reshaped it.  Here’s how it went:

Kurbiskernweckerl  Pumpkin Seed Rolls

(I highly recommend you compare the original recipe, link above)

became

Potato Seed Rolls

Day One:

Pate Fermentee:

50g bread flour (KA - King Arthur)

30g room temp water

1 teaspoon instant yeast

1 teaspoon salt

Mix together, let rest covered for about 15 hours.

Soaker:

25g rye flakes

45g pumpkin seeds

25g sunflower seeds

25g flaxseed (linseed)

120g warm water

Mix and cover.  Set aside 15 hours.

Day Two:

100g cubed potato  (Idaho was in my kitchen)

40g water

Microwaved till easily mashed.  Allow to cool.

Mix with:

140g cool water

Soaker & pate fermentee

Dough:

150g bread flour (KA)

100g Eagle Mills Ultragrain All Purpose flour

        (check out BreadChick’s review here)

50g rye flour(Organic Arrowhead Mills)

15g olive oil

12g instant yeast

10g salt

Final Touch:

Any of the seeds used in the dough and/or sesame or poppy seeds.

Using the dough hook on my Kitchen Aid stand mixer on low, I counted 12 loops around the bowl.  Allow to stand covered another 10 minutes.  Repeat this step three times.

Turn the dough out onto counter and fold it over on itself three or four times.  I did not find this unusually sticky or well but pretty heavy.  The original recipe described it as “sticky, although not excessively wet like ciabatta dough.”

Cover for 20 minutes.  Again fold it over on itself three or four times.

Cover for another 20 minutes.

This is where I noticed the first difference between the original recipe and this one with the added potato.  There was a greater lightness and spring in this dough compared to without the potato.  It was still a heavy and stiff dough but a degree of lightness was evident.

I moistened the rolls with a little water and rolled them in a mix of seeds. 

Covered them and allowed to proof another 50 minutes.

Baked on a preheated stone at 475° F (240°C) for 10 minutes and finished at 395° F (200° C) for the last 15 minutes.

I think this dough was perhaps too stiff for the Parker House Shape.  Smaller size got a little more done than I’d like. 

The crust was little more tender but also crisper than the first baking.

Next time:

Aim for 12 rolls; half Parker House Shape and half round ball shaped.

Bake at 475° F (240°C) for 10 minutes and finish at 375° F (190° C) for the last 12 minutes.

I really love the pumpkin seeds but they didn’t adhere at all well on the outside of the rolls.  They are wonderful on the inside.  The poppy seeds seemed more distraction than complement and so I think I’ll try rolling them in just the regular sesame seeds, the black sesame seeds and the sunflower seeds for the next batch. 

I will do the potato again!

I’m a very slow learner and got tired of looking up or calculating  F° to C° conversions so I made this “cheat sheet” and taped it to my oven.

These were beautiful for breakfast and divine with soups for dinner!!

Giant Kissy to all!